The text of the lieutenant governor's inaugural speech.
Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst
2007 Texas Inauguration Address
January 16, 2007
Governor Perry, Speaker Craddick, Chief Justice Jefferson, Attorney General Abbott, Comptroller Combs, Commissioners Patterson, Staples, Ames-Jones, Williams, and Carrillo, Senators, Representatives, Elected Officials, Mrs. Pataki, My Fellow Texans.
Standing before you today, I feel so many different emotions. I am honored. I am appreciative, as we all join in celebration of the people’s sovereignty – the hallmark of freedom, and the enduring wisdom of our democratic republic.
When I was elected your lieutenant governor four years ago it was exciting, and very moving. But today is even more fulfilling. When you elected me the first time, it had to be in part an act of faith. This time, I trust I’ve earned your confidence.
So I thank you for your support and for giving me the opportunity to keep working for you, and for a better Texas future.
If you’ll permit me just for a moment as I think back to when I first decided to run for state-wide office. When I finally sat down with my mother and told her my decision – I’ll never forget – she blinked several times, leaned toward me, touched my arm, and said in that way only mothers can say, “Son, have you completely lost your mind?”
But then we got to talking about my grandfather, and how proudly he had served in the Texas Legislature. And then I remember, she paused and said, with tears in her eyes, “Son, bless your heart. Go for it. But promise me one thing: That as long as you’re in politics – every day you’re in office – you’ll push the envelope. Help people who don’t have anyone to help them.
And never give up.”
You see, my mother believed in me. And let me tell you, I believe in the people of Texas. With your help, we’ve pushed the envelope. We’ve fought the good fight.
We took the fight to our financial crisis and against all odds, we wiped out a huge deficit, and now created a multi-billion dollar surplus.
We took the fight to an oppressive local school property tax and passed a $14 billion tax cut – the largest in Texas history.
We took the fight to higher education, working to improve our great universities, keep colleges affordable, and put students on a faster track to graduation.
We fought to make Texas the most business-friendly state in the entire United States, and we created hundreds of thousands of new jobs, lowering workers' comp costs, working to end frivolous lawsuits, and keeping our good doctors practicing medicine right here in Texas.
And I’m so proud that we passed more pro-family legislation during my first term than during any comparable period in Texas history; protecting our families, the unborn, and the vulnerable.
We accomplished all this and more because we worked together as a bipartisan action team for Texas. We recognized that we may be Republicans or Democrats or Independents, but first, we are Texans.
And by doing this, we made progress and partnership the legacy of the last four years, and we restored the people’s faith in our Texas government.
Now as we look ahead, to the blessings of a new day, a time of renewal, a time to remember that for all that might appear to divide us, core values of far greater significance unite us. And that begins with a fundamental goal for all of us: Making Texas a better place to live, work and raise a family.
We know that runaway government spending makes it harder for families and businesses to succeed. So we must be conservative with the taxpayers’ money, and we must continue to grow the economy and create more good jobs.
We know that getting every dollar we can into the classroom, instead of feeding the bureaucracy, improves the quality of education. So we must be accountable for every penny we spend on our schools.
We know that illegal immigration puts a strain on our public services and our security. So we must be fair and firm as we deal with our border.
We know that our prosperity and quality of life depend on our air, our water, and all our natural resources. So we must make our economy and our environment grow healthy together.
These are important priorities in my second term, and I know that by working together, we can keep the momentum going.
Now, we also know that everything we do is designed to set the stage for the next generation, to safeguard their claim to the future. So in this session of the Legislature I am offering a bold plan to protect and nurture the most precious resource of all: Our children.
“Texas Children First” is a package of legislation based on a simple, unassailable premise: That safe and healthy children learn. Safe and healthy children learn, they grow, and they go on to lead lives that strengthen our state and make us proud. By protecting our children, we protect our future. My plan will give our children every chance to become the next generation of Texas leaders, builders, and givers.
We know, for instance, that there are many violent crimes, but perhaps none more insidious than violent sex crimes against our children. Today, we have 46,000 registered sex offenders walking our streets in Texas, and more than half have victimized children.
Every single instance of this crime strikes at the heart of our civil society. And yet under Texas law, a first offense can result in as little as probation. That’s not deterrence. That’s a disgrace.
And we will not wait for more lost lives, shattered innocence, and broken families before we bring ultimate justice to these monsters.
That’s why I asked Mark Lunsford to be with us today. Mark lost his beautiful daughter Jessica to the hands of a repeat sex-offender, and I cannot imagine the pain he has gone through.
The horror of this crime has sparked a revolution in the way we punish these predators. Twenty-six states have passed a Jessica’s Law. And Mark, I want you to know that Texas is going to have its own Jessica’s Law.
Our law will do justice to the memory of your daughter and every child who has been made a victim. As part of Texas Children First, I am proposing the toughest sexual predator law in the nation.
If you’re convicted of a sexually violent crime against a child under 14 here in Texas, you’re going to jail for a minimum of 25 years, with lifetime GPS monitoring if you get out. We’re going to have our eyes on you 24/7.
And if you ever get out and, God forbid, you do it a second time, prosecutors will be able to seek the death penalty. Two strikes and you’re out – forever.
Our message is this: There’s tough. And then there’s Texas tough. And if you’re going to commit an unthinkable crime against a child, we’ll show you what Texas tough means.
Now, another battlefield for child safety is the Internet, that these monsters use to get at our children right in our own homes. One in 5 children has been approached sexually on the Internet. Our children shouldn’t have to walk through a predator minefield every time they go on-line.
So my plan will give the police better tools to catch these cyber-criminals, and stiffen the penalties for using the Internet to solicit a child.
Next, we all want to know that our children are safe, not just when they’re outside or online, but on campus as well. My plan will help us create a safer school environment by requiring criminal background checks for anyone who works on the campus of a public school; random testing of high school athletes to attack the scourge of steroids and performance enhancing drugs; and provide every Texas public school with a portable defibrillator – like the one that saved the life of a young football player Matt Nader of Westlake High School, who is with us today.
An investment of just a few thousand dollars made the difference between life and death for Matt. And we should resolve to make that difference at every public school in Texas.
Finally, Texas Children First gets right to the heart of why we send our children to school in the first place: Academics. My plan, created with the help of some key legislators, will allow us to build on what we’ve done the last few years to improve scholastic performance, reward good teachers, lower drop-out rates, and expand college readiness programs for high school students.
I want to give our children great schools, see them through all the way to graduation, and make sure that a Texas diploma is a passport to their dreams. Texas Children First will give our children the freedom to imagine every possibility.
I see Texas as the place of big dreams and quiet miracles. A place where everyday, anybody from any background or any community, can scale heights as improbable as they are breathtaking. But we must always ensure that our government is not an obstacle to hope, but a partner in prosperity.
Standing in the Chambers of the Texas Senate and House, you can observe the large, majestic chandeliers above, and you will see upon each lights positioned to spell out a single word: “TEXAS.” It’s a vivid reminder of the solemn duty bestowed upon our elected leaders – to put Texas above all.
I have always thought of this light as one that illuminates the accountability to which we must always be held. Or put in simpler terms: “The Eyes of Texas are Upon You.”
With those eyes upon us I make this pledge: We will not be held back by partisanship. We will move forward in partnership.
We will not confuse motion with progress. We will forge real solutions.
We will not allow events to shape our future. We will shape our future, guided by justice, common sense, and by the will of the people.
Thank you, and may God bless you, and may God bless the great state of Texas.
